Chief Scientific Officer

Agscent is revolutionizing livestock diagnostics through space-age, AI-enabled breath sensor technology. Our innovative solutions transform livestock health, welfare, and protection by putting powerful diagnostic capabilities directly into primary producers' hands. Our flagship products include Agscent Breath: Pregnancy, which accurately predicts pregnancy in cows from day 18 post-insemination, and Agscent Air: GHG, which monitors methane emissions in livestock environments. Agscent currently operates out of Sydney and Canberra as the primary Australian office locations, with a sensor-focused R&D facility in Mountain View, California as well.

Founded in 2018, we have established a strong scientific foundation including multiple patents protecting VOC-biology sensor technology, substantial molecular biology IP, NASA licensing agreements, and global university research collaborations.

The Opportunity We are seeking a passionate and driven Chief Scientific Officer (CSO) to collaborate with the CEO to scale our proven research platform. The Chief Scientist will

lead our scientific strategy to decode and translate breath and other VOC biomarkers into commercial diagnostics.

This role requires deep expertise in volatile organic compound analysis, metabolomics research, breathomics, and microbiology. This role bridges these research areas to identify which volatile compounds reliably indicate health states including disease in livestock and humans, as well as validating these biomarkers through rigorous studies with partners like Owlstone. You'll guide our research roadmap from biomarker discovery through sensor alignment, ensuring our nanosensor technology delivers accurate, field‑ready diagnostics that transform livestock and ultimately human health management.

This is a

hybrid/remote opportunity

with office attendance as required, and is open to candidates in

Australia and the US only.

The position is available as

either part-time or full-time , depending on the candidate's qualifications and preferences. This is an ideal role for someone looking to develop their scientific leadership in a company at its inflection point and with a global impact.

Australia-based candidates:

Proximity to Sydney or Canberra advantageous for occasional office attendance and access to Australian research institutions

US-based candidates:

California location provides access to Mountain View laboratory and Silicon Valley ecosystem; other major biotech hubs (Boston, San Diego, Seattle, Research Triangle) also suitable

Must be comfortable with:

International time zone coordination, video meetings with global team, periodic international travel

Core Responsibilities VOC Analysis & Sensor Development

Apply expertise in volatile organic compound identification and quantification to guide nanosensor development, working at the interface of molecular biology and biotechnology

Identify and validate specific VOCs associated with target biological phenomena, including bacterial species, metabolic pathways, and disease states, using techniques such as GC‑MS and related mass spectrometry methods

Translate biological findings into actionable sensor design specifications including concentration ranges, detection thresholds, and interference profiles

Coordinate remotely with the Mountain View team, with periodic on‑site visits as needed

Metabolomics & Breathomics Research

Lead the design and execution of metabolomics studies to map volatile metabolite profiles across health and disease states in livestock and humans

Apply metabolic pathway analysis to understand the biological origins of target VOCs and their relationship to underlying conditions

Drive breathomics research to identify reliable, reproducible breath‑based biomarkers suitable for translation into commercial diagnostics

Collaborate with partners such as Owlstone on biomarker validation and analytical method development

Personally conduct research investigating microbial communities and VOC profiles in breath, faecal headspace, and biological matrices

Lead hands‑on identification of VOC signatures for infectious diseases, metabolic disorders, and pathological conditions

Establish relationships between microbial species and characteristic volatile metabolite profiles

Execute proof‑of‑concept work for faecal headspace and human health applications

Personally design and execute statistically rigorous studies across diverse livestock systems

Conduct hands‑on statistical analysis (R, Python) in collaboration with Data and Software Development Manager

Define and validate sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy benchmarks meeting international regulatory standards

Apply multivariate statistical methods to identify VOC patterns discriminating biological states

Commercial-Science Integration

Collaborate with Chief Commercialisation Officer on product roadmap (video meetings and quarterly in‑person sessions)

Guide R&D priorities based on commercial viability and ROI across global markets

Translate complex metabolomics and VOC research findings into commercially compelling narratives

Provide scientific support in customer meetings and investor presentations

Regulatory & Quality Science

Define pathways for veterinary diagnostic registration and human health applications across jurisdictions (TGA, FDA, CE marking, APVMA, USDA)

Compile scientific documentation for regulatory submissions

Design clinical validation studies meeting regulatory standards

Build quality management system foundations

Research Partnership & Team Building

Expand management of strategic university collaborations internationally (remote with periodic visits)

Co‑supervise PhD students with hands‑on involvement

Build relationships with key opinion leaders

Recruit and mentor research team as company grows

What You’ll Bring

PhD in microbiology, metabolomics, veterinary science, biomedical science, or a closely related discipline

5‑10 years post‑PhD experience with strong publication record (5+ first/senior author papers), ideally including work in VOC analysis, metabolomics, or microbiome research

Current hands‑on proficiency in microbiome research, VOC analysis, or diagnostic development

Experience at biology‑engineering interface, translating biological requirements into technical specifications

Biostatistics expertise and current proficiency in R, Python, or similar

Experience with analytical chemistry (GC‑MS, mass spectrometry) for VOC identification

Understanding of volatilome research methodologies

Critical Success Factors

Recent practical laboratory/field experience

Proven remote work effectiveness and ability to lead distributed teams

Self‑starter mentality with demonstrated independent work capability

Strong scientific communication (publications and presentations)

Cross‑functional collaboration experience, especially with engineers

Adaptability to refine and build on others' work

Commercial awareness and interest in translating science to products

Data‑driven approach with rigorous attention to scientific validity

Highly Desirable

Experience leading distributed/remote research teams

Industry experience at biotech/agtech/diagnostics companies

Breath‑based diagnostics or volatilome research background

Veterinary, livestock, or agricultural research experience

IP development experience and patent contributions

Track record securing research funding

Experience with regulatory/quality requirements for diagnostics

Connections to research institutions in Sydney/Canberra or California

Who Thrives Here

Self‑starter with a can‑do attitude who thrives in a fast‑paced startup environment

Able to operate independently and drive technical execution without constant oversight

Brings energy and momentum to every project

Highly productive and self‑motivated

Comfortable taking ownership of complex challenges

Enjoys autonomy to build systems and processes while delivering results

Our Culture Agscent has a small, highly connected team with minimal bureaucracy and high autonomy. We have a distributed work model emphasizing clear communication and accountability. We value execution over hierarchy, collaboration over silos, results over presence, and impact over perfection. Success requires strong written/verbal communication, proactive engagement in video meetings, and ability to build relationships without daily in‑person interaction.

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